6 Moves To Get You Washboard Abs – We Show You How With Animated GIFs!
Strong abs not only look great, they also help you perform better at sports, lift more weight in the gym, maintain good posture and even prevent potential back pain while seated at your desk. Try any or all of these ab moves individually, as an add-on to your workout or all together as an abs-centric circuit. If you’re performing them as a circuit, do 1 set of each move sequentially, with 15-30 seconds in between exercises, repeating the full circuit up to 3 times in total.
1. Mountain Climbers Pump up the cardio while activating your abs with this multi-tasking, calorie-blasting move. HOW TO DO IT: Begin in a full plank position with arms extended under shoulders and legs extended straight with feet hip width and abs drawn in tight (body should create a diagonal line from head to heels). Quickly bend right knee into chest (without rounding back) then immediately return to start. Do 3 sets of 20 quick (almost at a running pace), alternating reps.
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2. Side Hip Raise Fire up your obliques during this total-body exercise that provides a great complement to traditional crunch-style abs moves. HOW TO DO IT: Begin lying on one side, with your bottom elbow bent under your shoulder and your legs extended straight with hips and heels stacked and your top hand on your hip. Engage your abs and lift your hip off the floor and press up into a side plank position. Lower your hip lightly to the floor and then immediately repeat. Do 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.
3. Standing Rotational Chop This functional exercise works the abdominal muscles and lower back together, with an extra emphasis on the obliques. HOW TO DO IT: Begin standing with your feet wide and your knees slightly bent, holding onto the handle of an anchored cable or resistance band with your arms extended out in front of your lower chest. Brace your abs in tight to your spine and begin to chop your arms across your torso from side to side, keeping your hips steady while rotating your torso through the shoulders. (Adjust resistance as needed.) Do 3 sets of 15 reps. (Each side to side chop is 1 rep.)
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4. One-Armed Farmer’s Walk It may not look like an abs move, but this single-arm variation of the farmer’s walk exercise will have your core muscles working overtime to stabilize your spine with every unevenly weighted step. HOW TO DO IT: Stand with your feet under your hips, holding 1 dumbbell or kettlebell to the side of your body with your palm facing in. Keeping your spine tall, abs engaged and shoulders square, take 5 steps forward, turn around and take 5 steps back to start. That’s 1 rep. Do 3 sets of 5 reps on both sides.
5. Burpee Tuck Jump This advanced double-whammy abs move is not only a dynamic way to work the core, it’s also a killer way to blast off major calories to help reduce body fat fast, which is crucial for showing off that six-pack! HOW TO DO IT: Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides. Squat down to the floor, bending your knees and pushing your hips back. Place your hands under your shoulders. Jump your legs back into a full plank position, bracing your abs in tight and immediately lower into a push-up tapping your chest lightly to the floor. Then jump your feet back into a squat position and swing your arms up and immediately jump straight up, tucking your knees into your chest. Land in a squat position and repeat as quickly as possible with good form. Do 3 sets of 5-10 reps.
6. V-Ups This advanced move is a challenge for the abdominals and requires some flexibility, so feel free to modify by bending the knees as much as needed to build strength and mastery. HOW TO DO IT: Begin lying face up with your arms extended overhead and your palms facing up and legs out straight with your feet hip-width apart. Engage your abdominals and sit all the way up into a “V” position, lifting your legs and trying to touch the tops of your feet with your fingertips. Lower with control back to starting position. Try up to 3 sets of 10 reps.
By Jessica Smith
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